Welcome to New Zealand Government

Coming to a computer near you!

Find out about government agencies • File forms
Make payments • Choose your time and place

At the time of the last census, 37% of New Zealand households had Internet
access. Many more can access the Internet through work, school or public
facility such as a library. Government agencies are working together to
make the best of the opportunities the Internet offers. The aim is to
give people improved access to government services, and enable transactions
to take place at more convenient times and places.

The initial focus has been on developing ways to deliver government
information online. The New Zealand Government Portal website (www.govt.nz)
provides
a 'where to go' facility. It helps people to find which government agency
deals with the issue they are concerned with.

Individual department and agency web sites provide 'how to' explanations
and increasing access to electronic templates – paperless forms
people can use to register for services or grants or to meet compliance
requirements.

The New Zealand vision for electronic government envisages reinventing
government through the use of information technology.

In the past, government services have been delivered mainly through
departmental or agency offices. But changes in population patterns
and a focus on cost
has led to the withdrawal of permanent departmental and agency representation
from many cities and towns, particularly in provincial and rural areas.
Electronic government provides an alternative way of dealing with
government agencies, bringing a virtual government office to every
wired household
or community.

The electronic revolution in the delivery of government services is
expected to lead not only to increased effectiveness, but also to
improved efficiency.

Increasingly, people will begin to sift information for themselves and
contact officials at a distance using a variety of channels. While
these new channels improve governments’ ability to disburse information,
they also allow rapid feedback so that policy designers can take account
of what the public think.